Manipulation
by SlytherinScarlette
Summary: My take on Snape's thought process right after HBP's most memorable moment. Short, not really a story, just practice for future Snape stories. Little language.


_Things may have been different._

_  
_Quite. But who was at fault?

Really, he could have gone either way. He could've started this war completely undecided, done his impeccable job of convincing both sides--and in such a childish manner! It was all a game of 'I'm pretending to help THEM, but my loyalties lie with you'. Any power-thirsty wizard falls for flattery, and any good-natured sorcerer falls for guilt. Though underneath all his occlumency, all his powerful… _manipulative _decisions, he had indeed chosen a side.

His most useful quality: mystery. Every facial expression, every reaction, every word… every single lie. Every single fucking lie.

_Would things have been different?_

No, of course not. It just couldn't work that way.

_Well, certainly it could, but I would find myself opposing… _

Opposing… the victor? He didn't lack _that_ substantial amount of maturity, _did _he? Of course not. It simply wasn't a matter of laying his loyalties at the feet of the fastest racer.

_Of course not._

_Principle. _

_  
_Perhaps the word had out-used itself in recent events.

But he had manipulated all, he had fought demons from within and surrounding, all to bring him here.

He was _not_ a weak wizard. Dumbledore knew that. As did the Dark Lord. He was intelligent, he was useful, he had strength.

_I am not weak. I am not daft. I am useful. I am…_

Untrustworthy. Both sides believed him dearly. And he would have _loved_ to help out the competition, but the competition had fault.

_But you did help them. _

It was for the better. It would've happened anyway. But the feeling…

_  
_He didn't give a rat's ass what Potter's face was etched with.

Well…

No. Absolutely not.

_What DID it look like, again?_

Anger. It was anger that, if granted another circumstance, would've made Snape himself proud. Each line in his face was _seething_, and the boy's powers were undoubtedly fueled by this great animosity. Of course, having years more practice in emotional control and general spell casting, blocking all of the attacks wasn't a difficult task.

An Unforgivable? Potter had attempted the _Cruciatus Curse, _as he remembered correctly. Not that he'd succeeded, and even if he had…

_I am not a coward, Potter…_

He hadn't done it because he was stupid. He hadn't done it because he was angry. His own choice of Unforgivable earlier that day was all part of that plan.

_That damned plan._

Yes, he had to keep up appearances, did he not? And Dumbledore knew this, they'd discussed it on several occasions.

_Not easily, _he had to admit. How does one explain to a co-work-- _friend, _his duty was to kill him?

_I am NOT a coward, Potter…_

For the greater good. The Order still needed a spy, obviously, and now that they had been made aware of Dumbledore's acceptance… Furthermore, Harry Potter could not defeat the Dark Lord without _his _knowledge of the Dark side.

Yes, that would be it.

Harry wasn't a terrible wizard, by any means.

_No, I suppose he isn't._

His triumphs over the past six years were courageous, to say the least.

_But Potter's issues lay with his ridiculous habit of drawing conclusions._

No, Potter could not do this without him. Sure, he'd managed to figure out things on his own, but Death Eaters were not Lord Voldemort.

_The Dark Lord._

Snape slowly sat down, after pacing for so long. It wouldn't be long before he had to go find the Dark Lord. It wouldn't be long before word got to him, before he figured out that Albus was indeed dead and Snape had done it _for _Draco.

_Dead._

The matter of death wasn't exactly foreign to him. But something about… well, this time, he just couldn't really grasp…

_I am NOT a FUCKING COWARD, Potter!!_

He brought his right hand to his cheek, and, with a quick motion of his index finger, he wiped off a single tear that he hadn't remembered shedding.

_I'm not._

And with that, he got up, changed into that bloody mask and robe, and went on his way to do exactly what was planned. _Planned._ A quick glance around, and he sighed and left to face his… _Dark Lord _once again.

Manipulation.


End file.
